The necessity and benefits of eyeglasses, such as sunglasses and corrective lenses, are well known. Many millions of people use eyeglasses of one type or another on a daily basis. Because of the relatively small size of a pair of eyeglasses, and because of the frequency with which they are placed on and removed from a person's face, they tend to be lost, mislaid, and damaged frequently.
A number of devices have been developed over the years to prevent glasses from being inadvertently dropped or lost. Some of these devices include tubular retaining straps that fit over the ends of the eyeglass temples. These retaining straps keep the eyeglasses around the user's neck when not being used.
In addition, traditional protective cases for eyeglasses have existed for a long time. These cases usually provide some type of protection for the eyeglasses, but do not overcome the problems with respect to where the case may be placed after placing the eyeglasses inside the protective case.
A major concern with respect to eyeglasses is preventing damage, since they are lightweight and easy to break. Even when inside of a protective case, if the eyeglasses are left on a chair, seat, or floor, damage can readily result.
There is, therefore, a need to provide a retaining apparatus for holding eyeglasses at a known location to prevent the eyeglasses from being lost or mislaid. In addition, there is a need to develop a retaining device for holding eyeglasses in a suspended location to prevent the eyeglasses from being inadvertently damaged as a result of being left on a surface, such as a seat or the floor.
The automobile presents particular problems with respect to use and storage of eyeglasses. The driver of or passenger(s) inside an automobile will often wear and remove sunglasses or corrective eyeglasses (e.g., in exchange for a tinted pair of eyeglasses), depending upon conditions such as night/day driving and sunny/cloudy days. Ultimately, there is a need to place the eyeglasses somewhere inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The dashboard is one of the more common locations for placing eyeglasses. The car seat is another common storage location for eyeglasses. Several problems commonly arise, however, from such practices. For example, the lenses of the eyeglasses are scratched when the eyeglasses slide back and forth along the dashboard or the seat. Furthermore, although resting on the dashboard or the seat, the eyeglasses commonly fall off onto the floor of the vehicle where they may be damaged. Even if the glasses stay on the seat, they can be damaged or lost in the crack of the seat. There is a need, therefore, to provide a retaining apparatus that allows eyeglasses to be stored in a known location, that maintains the eyeglasses in a suspended location to prevent damage, and that is easy to use for a vehicle driver.